Oswaldo Guayasamin captures passion of Latin America

Installation view of Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamin's first solo exhibition in Korea at the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art / Courtesy of Savina Museum of Contemporary Art

By Kwon Mee-yoo

"Self-Portrait" (1950) by Oswaldo Guayasamin / Courtesy of Savina Museum of Contemporary Art

Oswaldo Guayasamin (1919-99) is an artist who represents Ecuador. Dubbed as “the Picasso of Latin America,” he is best known for his Cubist-styled depictions of Latin American people fighting injustice.

Despite his reputation across Latin America, Guayasamin is lesser-known in Korea. A few of his works have been featured in Latin American art exhibitions, but his fierce artistic practice has not had a chance to be introduced to Korea yet.

The "National Painter of Ecuador: Oswaldo Guayasamin" exhibition at the Savina Museum of Contemporary Art in northwestern Seoul sheds light on the oeuvre of this Latin American artist. The exhibition features some 89 works of Guayasamin, taken out of Ecuador under the permission of the Ecuadorian government as his works are considered cultural heritage there.

Berenice, daughter of Guayasamin and president of the Guayasamin Foundation, flew to Korea to take the lead in opening the first-ever Guayasamin exhibition here.

"Last year was the 100th anniversary of his birth. There were big commemorative exhibitions held in Ecuador. That's where it began," she told The Korea Times.

Rep. Lee Nak-yon, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, visited Ecuador last year when he was prime minister and suggested holding the first exhibition of the prominent Ecuadorian artist in Korea.

"This exhibition introduces (Guayasamin's) works in three stages and his early and later works showcase different characteristics in colors. However, what defines (Guayasamin) is the intense depiction of people overwhelmed by fear and despair in The Age of Anger,” Berenice said.

Berenice reminisced that her father was already an established artist when she was born.

"I saw him painting at home every day and it was natural for me," she said. "His paintings were hung along the corridor of our house and when I was very young, I used to dash through the corridor because it was a bit frightening for a young child."

Guayasamin was born in Quito, Ecuador to a humble family and showed talent in art at an early age.

“The Path of Tears” refers to the artist's early works created between 1946 and 1952, inspired by his travels throughout Latin America.

Paintings “The Workers” and “The Strike” give a glimpse of his evolution towards Cubism.

"I cried because I didn't have shoes, until I saw a child that had no feet. I hated the hurt and pain of the poor and discriminated against Latin American indigenous people. I also hated the people's anguish and anger and the unequal society where the people were oppressed and lived in poverty. I'd rather stand up and support the value of the Cuban Revolution," Guayasamin said during a conversation with Chilean poet Pablo Neruda in 1953.

"Meeting at the Pentagon I~V" (1970) by Oswaldo Guayasamin / Courtesy of Savina Museum of Contemporary Art

“The Age of Anger” is the largest section of the exhibit, showcasing the Ecuadorian artist's interpretation of major historical events of the early 20th century ― such as the world wars, Spanish Civil War, the Nazi Holocaust and misery of South American countries persecuted by dictators.

The "Meeting at the Pentagon" series presents his critical perspective against violence and massacres by painting vicious men of power in an Expressionist style.

"The Waiting" series takes inspiration from Jewish concentration camps during World War II, while "Women Crying" refers to grieving women after the Spanish Civil War.

In his later days, Guayasamin opens “The Age of Tenderness,” which features softer, more colorful paintings such as “Tenderness” and “Mother and Child.”

He showed tremendous affection for his mother, who supported him at a young age to become an artist.

“My mother was true poetry. She played the guitar and sang marvelously. She taught me the first chords, the first voices. … My mother gave me my life as a painter,” the artist said.

"Tenderness" (1989) by Oswaldo Guayasamin / Courtesy of Savina Museum of Contemporary Art

Lee Myung-ok, director of Savina Museum, said Guayasamin is influenced by Spanish art, Cubism and Picasso, but he developed his own style which deserves a spot in the history of modern art.

"Ecuador was a colony of Spain and Guayasamin traveled around Spain after the Spanish Civil War, which certainly had an influence on the artist's style and perspective. For instance, Guayasamin's works are influenced by Picasso's Guernica," Lee said. "However, Guayasamin established a unique style combining the new international trend and Latin America's realism. His works reflect the time he lived and the message still resonates now."

Lee said Guayasamin's works are great examples of how content and form go well together.

"In Korea, postwar Minjung Art, socio-political people's art, has become more of an object due to its political characteristics. Guayasamin managed to capture the ethnicity of Ecuador, while maintaining the formal aesthetics. The sentiment Guayasamin portrayed is Ecuadorian in a narrow sense, but it connects to universal sympathy," Lee said.

The exhibit runs through Jan. 22.